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"FOLLOW THAT BIRD" TOUR TO THE
CENTRAL COAST 18 OCTOBER 2003
Seventeen birders, including two
visitors from the United Kingdom visited the Central Coast on 18 October and had
a great days birding, seeing over 84 species. The main event commenced with a
visit to Burge Road reserve, Blackalls Bay, Woy Woy from where you can look onto
Ramsay Island to see our local Pelican rookery. There were about 30 juvenile
Pelicans in a loose creche while about another 40 pairs of birds had recently
commenced nesting, so that there was much coming and going. Also on this little
sandy island there were about 20 nests of White Ibis on the one low She-oak but
the main highlight was seeing a juvenile Pied Oystercatcher feeding with its
parents because successful breeding of Oystercatchers on the Coast is not a
common event. At the waters edge near where we were standing, good views were
had of a Striated Heron, Little Egret & Great Egret, a pair of
White-breasted Woodswallows were nesting on a mooring pole, while our overseas
visitors were able to compare the differences of Long-billed and Little Corellas
which were feeding together on the grass.
Our next stop was the Katandra
Reserve at Matcham but on route to that rainforest reserve we passed briefly by
Kincumber Pony Club grounds where the resident pair of Bush Stone-curlews were
quickly located close to the coach which acted as a great hide so that no one
needed to alight! Katandra Reserve has missed out on some of the local rains so
was somewhat dry and a bit quiet so that birds like the Cicadabird, Rufous
Fantail, Rose Robin, Catbird and Brown Cuckoo-Dove were heard calling but showed
little activity. However here we did get good views of Rufous & Golden
Whistlers and Black-faced Monarchs, a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike was loacted
nesting in the car-park during our lunch, and Sacred Kingfishers were seen
constructing a nest in a termites mound. Scarlet Honeyeaters, a Shining
Bronze-Cuckoo, Olive-backed Orioles and Leaden Flycatchers were some of the
other birds seen.
Our third main site for the day was
the Tuggerah STW which provided great bird watching experiences. First a Brown
Goshawk gave good views enabling easy identification, and then a Swamp Harrier
made a number of swoops over the wetlands trying to catch some of the coots and
lapwings, enabling all to see its under and upper wing and tail patterns. Good
views were had of Clamorous Reedwarblers and more Scarlet Honeyeaters, some
sneaky Black-fronted Plovers were found hiding in the grass at the edge of the
ponds, Fairy Martins and Welcome Swallows were busy overhead, while Cattle
Egrets, Royal Spoonbills and the three common cormorant species were roosting
side by side and so helped with identification purposes, while the usual ducks
were present. Yellow-faced and White-cheeked Honeyaters were feeding in the
Coral Trees and Dollarbirds were swopping over the ponds. Altogether a very
pleasant day on the Coast with good company and great birds.
Alan
Morris
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